A tip of the hat to Umatilla County for ramping up its vaccine distribution abilities so quickly and effectively that the county was able to vaccinate hundreds of residents against COVID-19 in a single week and is prepared to vaccinate as many as 2,000 more per week.
The resignation of Oregon’s former public records advocate, Ginger McCall, still echoes with consequences.
Last week on this page we wrote that we believed newly elected U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz had a bright future in the halls of the Congress. We still believe that to be true, but it’s clear the fres…
A kick in the pants to the ever-widening divisions in America that led to an angry mob overrunning our nation’s Capitol as members of Congress fled for their safety.
A state task force is meeting regularly, charged by the Legislature to figure out how a single -payer health care plan might work in Oregon. It’s a big deal.
Ontario lawyer Cliff Bentz has some big shoes to fill.
A tip of the hat to the Pendleton Round-Up Association’s Tough Enough To Wear Pink campaign and its donation of $11,000 raised in 2020 to help local cancer support organizations.
A new year beckons just ahead of us, and for some the theme now may be “good riddance” to 2020.
In today’s pop culture dominated climate, politicians rarely receive much thanks, but the work of U.S. Rep. Greg Walden stands out as a classic example of what an elected leader should do once…
The following is perhaps the most famous example of a child wanting to know if Santa is real.
Trees might be leafing out by the time most of us get to decide whether to roll up a sleeve and have a needle pierce our skin and deliver a dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
A tip of the hat to the health care workers who volunteered for the first round of COVID-19 vaccinations this week, and to the participants in clinical trials who volunteered to have the vacci…
Winter is coming.
The arrival of federal CARES Act money to the county is good news, but it isn’t going to be enough and that means lawmakers will need to get back to work to find out where more cash will come …
A tip of the hat to the Safe Routes to School grant program for providing funding for two needed projects that will help protect pedestrians in Umatilla County.
It has been nearly 50 years since I first learned of the situation and the controversy concerning the American mustangs and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). I am sad to report that the int…
Oregonians passed Measure 110 by a wide margin in November. It means decriminalization of personal possession of small amounts of illegal drugs, including cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and …
Umatilla County received some good news recently when Gov. Kate Brown’s proposed budget included funding for two local projects, an indoor rodeo arena with agriculture and veterinary classroom…
A tip of the hat to all the volunteers in Hermiston, Pendleton and elsewhere who came together to provide free Thanksgiving meals to members of the community.
The next global pandemic will be managed a lot better than this one. Oregon and the world will be more prepared.
The new year will bring a new Oregon Legislature and there are already discussions for new taxes.
Oregonians are a little more than halfway through Gov. Kate Brown’s two-week “freeze,” but there has been much more public resistance to this latest effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 than …
The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to f…
Recounts and legal challenges notwithstanding, it appears Joe Biden will be president on Jan. 20.
A tip of the hat to COPES Crisis Center and Health Clinic in Pendleton, and other organizations that are working to fight drug and alcohol addiction.
Gov. Kate Brown announced Friday tighter COVID-related restrictions. She got criticism before the news conference was over. Why now? Shouldn’t you have done something sooner? And some wondered…
The news of skyrocketing numbers of COVID-19 infections across the United States is reminding us of the original meaning of the phrase “going viral.”
A big tip of the hat to all veterans who have served our country, including those still serving in the armed forces today.
Public pressure can compel the Oregon Legislature to make changes. And one place that deserves public pressure is mental health care.
Four days after the polls closed on election night, Americans learned who their next president would be, capping a contentious political campaign that seemed to illustrate, at once, the great …
A tip of the hat to all of the local candidates who ran in this week’s election.
Last week the Trump administration moved forward with its plan to take the gray wolf off the endangered species list in the Lower 48 states. Farm and ranch group cheered the decision, while pr…
This year it is more important than ever to shop local.
Voters have until 8 p.m. on Nov. 3 to turn in their ballots, but a tip of the hat to those who have already voted. Mailing in or dropping off your ballots early can help the county elections o…
Gov. Kate Brown’s Healthy Schools Reopening Council is debating the metrics that schools should use to make reopening decisions. And it’s doing so behind closed doors.
Public service is a good thing.
As Nov. 3 draws nearer, some voters have already turned in their ballots. For those who haven’t yet voted, we conclude our series of endorsements with a “Reader’s Digest” version for those who…
Greg Walden is retiring, creating a race for an open seat for Oregon’s 2nd Congressional District. Cliff Bentz, a Republican, is the best person to fill it.
Oregon should not send a conspiracy stoker to represent us in the U.S. Senate. Reelect Sen. Jeff Merkley.
Listening to Republican politicians talk over the last few years, they are frustrated about their lack of control of the state. We have heard it again in this election.
We wish Oregonians had a hard choice to make in the race for state attorney general. They do not. Reelect Ellen Rosenblum.
We'd like to talk about a former secretary of state, Dennis Richardson, before we get into our editorial endorsement of Shemia Fagan for that race in this election. Looking back helps remember…
In two of Morrow County’s most important races, for county commissioner and sheriff, we recommend voters choose the incumbent.
Umatilla County Sheriff Terry Rowan is running unopposed in the Nov. 3 general election.
It’s fair to say the candidates for Umatilla County commissioner come with some baggage.
Representation at the state level is critical for all residents and Umatilla and Morrow counties are no different. During the upcoming Nov. 3 election, voters have the opportunity to select re…
At the beginning of the Tuesday, Oct. 6, candidate forum for the Hermiston City Council, incumbent Doug Primmer said there wasn’t a single person at the table that couldn’t do the job well.
Umatilla County voters passed the county’s Second Amendment Preservation Ordinance in November 2018, which prevents the county from using resources to enforce state or federal laws that infrin…
The most surprising item you’ll see on your Nov. 3 ballot is Measure 109.
Drug abuse and addiction are huge problems in Oregon. Methamphetamine, opiates (heroin, fentanyl and oxycodone and others) and cocaine damage and kill thousands of people every year. Few of us…
Oregon Measure 108, on the Nov. 3 ballot, would increase the tax on cigarettes by $2 per pack, up to $3.33 per pack. It also increases taxes on cigars, and establishes a new tax on e-cigarette…
Campaign finance reform seems like a no-brainer.
A tip of the hat to Pendleton Parks and Recreation for digitizing the records for Olney Cemetery.
If you haven’t done it in past years for whatever reason, now, more than ever it’s time to get your flu shot. Don’t take our word for it, Dr. Jeff Absalon, chief physician executive for St. Ch…
The small news story hardly pushed past 160 words and many readers may have missed it, but the review of a barbecue to honor area first responders, sponsored by local residents and businesses,…
